Poker computer set-up/build questions

[Poker Orifice]

Do I need a Graphics Card?

[MadMojoMonkey]

Do I need a Graphics Card?

ABSOLUTELY! Your Graphics card has it own GPU, which is going to take almost all the load that would otherwise go to your CPU. Having done a bit of programming, I can assure you that a huge majority of most of the software you're running is dedicated to the graphical interface. It's good economics to have a component in your system that is solely dedicated to bear that load.

Personally, I'd scrape the extra money together to step up a couple of levels on the graphics card. Your SSD is going to give you the ZOOOOM you're looking for, but don't you want to pop visually, too? You should definitely spend at least $100 on a graphics card if you're running 1080p, and up to ~$500 if you're ever going to play decent video games. That's a pretty linear bang-for-the-buck zone in graphics cards.

Also, I don't know if other people have a similar rule of thumb, but I think ~1/4 of the total cost of the computer system should be in the graphics card.

[Poker Orifice]

Thanks for the comments.
I might just go for the additional 24" monitor.

I was under the impression that if I went with a larger monitor & if it was 2560x1080 i'd actually be able to tile more tables.

I also have no interest in ever playing any video games (nevermind 'decent ones'). Will it still be necessary to get a vid. card? (I read that the new i5 Haswell with HD4500 can run 3 monitors comfortably). < I really don't have much of a clue though (hence the thread).

If I did add a graphics/vid. card I guess I'd have to beef up the PSU as well to maybe 500-550W?

Would something like an EVGA GTX650 1GB be good for what I need?
or could I get by with GT 630 or a GT 620?

[MadMojoMonkey]

I was under the impression that if I went with a larger monitor & if it was 2560x1080 i'd actually be able to tile more tables.

You'll get 33% more pixels horizontally, but the same number vertically. So if you have tables tiled 3 across, you'd be able to tile 4 across, but it's going to be the same vertically as before. So unless the monitor has a different aspect ratio, the tables will look squished in the horizontal direction.

I also have no interest in ever playing any video games (nevermind 'decent ones'). Will it still be necessary to get a vid. card? (I read that the new i5 Haswell with HD4500 can run 3 monitors comfortably). < I really don't have much of a clue though (hence the thread).

It will be well worth it. Even just running windows is a large load of graphical work.

... The Haswell chips/architecture are new to me...
...
I give up. I don't know enough about how they're integrating the bridges onto the CPU's and what the onboard graphical capabilities compare to.

If I did add a graphics/vid. card I guess I'd have to beef up the PSU as well to maybe 500-550W?

You'll definitely want to make sure your PSU is not overloaded.

Would something like an EVGA GTX650 1GB be good for what I need?
or could I get by with GT 630 or a GT 620?

Judging by the specs, and your comments, I think you'd be happy saving the ~$40 and going with the 630. You're probably missing out on some hardware value by spending less than $100 on the card, but if that value is relatively low for your personal taste/needs, then don't get it. Same reasoning as the monitors w/ speakers... it's a great value for the speakers themselves... but since I don't want/use them, it's no value at all.

I doubt it's worth saving the additional $5 to step down to a 620.

I think you need a 2nd opinion. It's been too long since I was in the loop on onboard graphical processing.